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A14 LOCAL
Friday 13 december 2019

Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance

concludes working visit to the Netherlands

ORANJESTAD — Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) Chair Hellen van der Wal and
Interim Director Tadzio Bervoets recently concluded a working visit to the Netherlands.
The primary goal of the visit was to engage and discuss the way forward for the orga-
nization and to lobby for increased support for the Nature Conservation Organizations
which form DCNA. The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) is a nonprofit organi-
zation created to protect the natural environment and to promote sustainable manage-
ment of natural resources on the six Dutch Caribbean islands.

The pristine nature of the ing at the forefront of this
Dutch Caribbean contains crises, parks are structurally
the richest biodiversity in under-supported in terms
the Kingdom of the Neth- of funding and capacity.
erlands. The diverse eco- The ensuring of ambitious
systems are a magnet for Dutch policies for Nature
tourism and the most im- and Biodiversity should be
portant source of income extended into the Carib-
for residents of the islands. bean Parts of the Kingdom,
Nature on the islands is especially considering the
unique and important but islands’ role as biodiversity
it is also fragile. The lack of hotspots. Taking the above
sustainable funding, policy into consideration there is
support and adequate an increased need to put
spatial planning poses the the focus on and commu-
most significant threats to nicate the conservation
the sustainable develop- challenges faced by the
ment of the islands. Dutch Caribbean to policy-
Discussions were held with makers on both sides of the
Member of European Atlantic, in particular in The
Parliament Samira Rafa- Hague and in Brussels.
ela (D66), the International The protection and func-
Union for the Conservation tioning of nature (ecosys-
of Nature Netherlands, Bird tems) in multifunctional
Protection Netherlands, and multi-use landscapes is
the Worldwide Fund for Na- critical in terms of how vul-
ture the Netherlands, and nerable and interconnect-
representatives from the ed Caribbean ecosystems
VU University Amsterdam. are. As small islands what-
Discussions were also held ever happens on terres-
with the Dutch Postcode trial habitat affects marine
Lottery, a critical supporter habitat. This interconnec-
of the Dutch Caribbean tivity should be stressed,
Nature Alliance. as should the fact that this
Considering that the re- is much more evident and
sponse to conservation much more of an existen-
issues in a global environ- tial threat for small island
mental crisis and due to the ecosystems than for those
effects of climate change on the continent.
it was emphasized that the The Aruban National Park
park management organi- Foundation FPNA, STINAPA
zations on all islands of the Bonaire, CARMABI Cura-
Dutch Caribbean are at the çao, STENEPA St. Eustatius,
forefront of this global cri- the Saba Conservation
ses. This will have extra and Foundation and the Sint
significant impacts in terms Maarten Nature Founda-
of the biodiversity within tion comprises the Dutch
the kingdom. However, Caribbean Nature Alli-
despite the Caribbean be- ance. q